The Kremlin's Fear of YouTube's Growing Popularity Among Russian Citizens

YouTube is the only American platform that remains freely active in Russia, attracting nearly 80% of the country's population as dedicated and interested users. For the Russian government, which seeks to control the media landscape as much as possible, this level of public favor for YouTube has become a serious challenge. Moscow, especially in the last two years, has taken measures to counter YouTube's influence, such as creating alternative internet platforms, pressuring Google to block opposition channels, and conversely, pressuring to lift bans on pro-Kremlin channels that have been effectively blocked since the onset of Russia's large-scale military invasion of Ukraine. None of these measures have so far succeeded in diminishing the influence and popularity of this video-sharing platform owned by Google. Consequently, whispers of the Kremlin taking more serious steps to potentially block YouTube have made headlines in recent days and sparked protests. In recent years, especially since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, which has been accompanied by unprecedented suppression of dissenting voices against the Kremlin, Russian television, which is considered the main mouthpiece of Vladimir Putin's government, has gradually lost its viewers; in contrast, YouTube's popularity has been increasing day by day. According to the Tochka publication, in the past two and a half years, about 25 million viewers have dropped off Russian television, while during the same period, about seven million people have joined the ranks of YouTube users in Russia each month. The Agnesto publication, citing data from Mediascope, the main independent media and social media monitoring agency in Russia, has estimated that 78.5% of Russian citizens, or over 110 million people, are regular users of YouTube. This research also noted that the number of WhatsApp users in Russia has increased from 68.7% before the war against Ukraine to about 80%; although the Russian government has blocked social media platforms Facebook and Instagram and declared Meta a 'radical organization.' The rise in YouTube's popularity in Russia occurs while the Russian government's budget allocates 335 billion rubles, equivalent to about four billion dollars, to support media, especially national television. According to Mediascope, about 10% of Russian citizens watched Vladimir Putin's televised speech before the Russian parliament last winter; all television networks – even children's channels – broadcast this speech live. This year's speech by the Russian president broke the record of the past five years. On the other hand, four years ago, over 100 million people watched Alexei Navalny's YouTube video about Vladimir Putin's new palace; this video has now been viewed over 130 million times, roughly equal to the entire population of Russia. Vladimir Milov, a Kremlin opposition politician who has been sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison for 'spreading false information,' believes that 'the opposition's message reaches the Russian people through YouTube, and this platform is an important tool for countering Kremlin propaganda.' In an interview with the Wire media, he stated that opposition channels on YouTube have between 10 to 15 million followers in Russia; additionally, about 20 million people occasionally watch content from these channels. Another study estimated that videos published on 10 popular opposition figures' channels are viewed approximately 170 million times per month. This is while YouTube has 'targeted' Kremlin opponents at the request of the Russian government. According to some reports, Google has confirmed that since the start of the war against Ukraine and the harsh sanctions against Russia, it has received thousands of requests from the Russian government, including demands to delete about one million channels, videos, and comments, and this American company has complied with about 80% of these requests. Google's refusal to comply with the Russian government's orders has repeatedly resulted in fines against the company, but Reporters Without Borders and several civil organizations have called on Google not to collude with the Russian government 'which seeks to silence the voices of human rights defenders and war opponents.' In recent days, contradictory reports about the potential blocking of this platform in Russia have emerged. The Gazeta.ru media, citing its sources in the Russian government, announced: 'YouTube will be blocked in Russia from early autumn.' Agnesto's investigations also show that Kremlin-supported media are increasingly criticizing YouTube. The Kremlin spokesperson denied reports about the potential closure of YouTube. However, the state body overseeing communications and media, Roskomnadzor, has warned that the loading speed and video quality on YouTube will decline. They have accused Google of failing to update its equipment in Russia in compliance with Western sanctions. Experts find this explanation noteworthy but believe that in recent days, the Russian government has deliberately taken steps to reduce YouTube's speed. Simultaneously, according to TASS, the Russian government has asked Google to provide access to over 200 Kremlin-supported channels on YouTube. YouTube has stated that it has blocked over 12,000 channels, including those of the Russian Foreign Ministry and key Kremlin propagandists. In a situation where it seems the Russian government lacks a clear strategy to counter YouTube's influence, efforts to replace YouTube continue. Recently, under the supervision of RT, which was once the most popular news channel in the world on YouTube but is now under Western sanctions, a service called 'Platforma' has been launched that is very similar to YouTube and, according to its creators, operates 'without Western censorship and [publishing] content against Russia.' This initiative comes as 'Rotiub,' a Russian video streaming platform for films and licensed programs, has been established for nearly 20 years in Russia, with billions of rubles spent on it. The Russian government claims that since the start of the war against Ukraine, the number of Rotiub users has reached 50 million. However, experts describe this platform as a 'failed project' that 'will never be a serious competitor to YouTube.' The only 'rival' to YouTube, in the sense that its user base in Russia is increasing, is 'Vok Video,' which is part of the Russian social network VKontakte. According to the latest reports, in the past two and a half years, the number of users on this platform has grown by 10%, attracting 74% of the population.